Stylus operating means



3 Sheets-Sheet 1 L. H. CHASE EIAL STYLUS OPERATING MEANS Filed Dec. 26,1941 June 13, 1944.-

: LH. ems:-

f L. c. SPENARD Z4 2 Arron Er FIG. 3

June 13, 1944.

L. H. CHASE ETAL S 'IYLUS OPERA! IN G MEANS Filed Dec. '26, 1941 3Sheets-Sheet 2 SPRING MO TOR A 1/0 GE'AHING L. H. CHASE L. C. SPENARDBi} (ac W A ATTORNEY IN l E N TORS June 13, 1944.

L. H. CHASE ETAL STYLUS OPERATING MEANS 3 Shets-Sheet 3 Filed Dec. 26,1941 L.H.CHA$ MENTOR L c. SPENARD A T TORNEY Patented June 13, 1944STYLUS OPERATING MEANS Leland H. Chase, Port Washington, and'Le Roy C.Spenard, Brooklyn, N.

Y., assig'nors to Holmes Electric Protective Company; New York, N. Y-.,a corporation of New York Application December 26, 1941, Serial No.424,448

1 Claim. (Cl. 234-63) This invention relates to watchmans time recordersandmore particularly to that class of recorders which are'used to recordthe time at which a watchman visits certain fixed points or stations infactories, offices, buildings, hotels, etc. This record is permanentlymade on a clockwork driven rotatable paper disc by perforating the discby means of a stylus which is operated by the closing of electricalcircuits at the remote points or stations.

An object of this invention is to provide a recorder of the rotatablepaper disc type, with a stylus operating mechanism which will causethestylus to perforate the paper disc with a minimum amount of effort andmake a clear-cut perforation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a stylus operatingmechanism which will prevent the stylus from sticking either as itenters the paper disc or is removed therefrom.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a stylusoperating mechanism which will permit the paper disc to be perforated insuch a manner that the paper between the adjacent perforations willremain intact. -A still further object of the invention is the provisionof a stylus operating mechanism which will permit the perforation of thepaper disc without affecting the operation of the clockwork mechanismwhich drives the clock.

Our invention is an improvement over the type of watchmans timerecorders in which a paper disc rotated by a suitable clockworkmechanism isperforated by means of a stylus or needle which is caused toperforate the disc by th closure of a. circuit through an electromagnet,the armature of which, when attracted to the poles of the magnet, causesthe stylus to perforate the paper disc.

Heretofore in this closs of apparatus, that is, the type wherein thestylus is electromagnetically operated, it has been found that after ashort period of operation the stylus, due to the abrasive action of thepaper disc, becomes roughened and not only mutilates the paper disc whenit is perofrated .but has a tendency to stick, thereby causing theclockwork mechanism to slow up and in some instances to stop altogether,thereby causing a false record and, in other cases, no record at all. g

In our invention we have eliminated the possibility of the needlesticking by reducing the abrasion action of the paper thereon and haveelimihated the tendency to break the paper wall betweenthe adjacentperforations.

In the preferred form of our invention the stylus or needle, whichperforates the paper disc, is caused to rotate previous to and whilebeing forced through the paper disc thereby permitting a smooth andclean perforation to be made in the disc,

The features, of our invention will he more readily understood from thefollowing detailed description when read in connection with theaccompanying drawings, in which: I

Fig. 1 is a. top plan view partly schematic of the preferred form of ourinvention; 7

Fig. 2 is a front elevation partly in section of a fragmentary portionof the stylus operating mechanism taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view, partly schematic, of a modified form of ourinvention in which the clockwork mechanism is spring wound;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary front elevation partly in section taken on line44 of Fig. 3 showing the stylus operating mechanism; and

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the device as shown in Figs. 1 and 3 witha portion of the cover broken away.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2 a housing'or cabinet I0 is provided on itsinterior with an apparatus supporting panel II which extends the fullwidth of the housing, and is so positioned therein that rear and frontcompartments are formed on either side of the panel. Mounted on the rearof the panel H, at one end thereof, is the low voltage alternatingcurrent motor l2. This motor is secured to the panel H by means of aU-shaped bracket l3 and the screws |4l4. The bracket 13 is secured tothe front face of the pole-pieces I5 of the motor l2 and supports thefront bearing 16 for the armature shaft ll; Secured to the rear face ofthe pole-pieces I5 is a U-shaped bracket 18 which extends outward fromthe polepieces [5 some distance and supports the rear bearing IQ for thearmature shaft l1.

The armature shaft I1 is rotatably and slidably mounted in the bearingsl8 and I9 and has positioned thereon, between said bearings, thearmature 20. Located on the front end of the armature shaft I1, is aneedle or stylus 2| the point of which extends into and is positioned inthe aperture 22 in the panel H. The rear portion of the armature shaftl1 extends beyond the bearing l9 and has positioned thereon anexpansible spring 23 one end of which bears against the outer face ofthe bearing l9 and the other end against a washer 24 which is held inposition by means of the pin 25' on the shaft H,

which is held in its retracted position by means 56. Mounted on thefront end of the shaft 60 is the double-edged knife blade 6| which, whenthe plunger 55 is moved inwardly by the action of the door 55, andoutwardly under the influence of the spring 51, will be caused to travelback and forth and cut a slot in the edge of the paper disc 35 .on eachstroke, thus indicating each time the door 55 has been opened or closed;

centrally located with respect thereto, is the metallic disc 21. to theshaft 28 which is rotatably mounted .in the panel II and has portionsThis disc is fixedly. secured ereof extending both to the rear andfrontfthe of.'....'l2he front.

portion of the shaft 28 terminates inthet'hreaded portion 29 which has aknurled nut 33 positioned thereon and the rear portionhas securedthereon the gear member 3| which meshes with the'pinion 32 fixed to theshaft 33 of the alternating current synchronous clock motor 34 which issecured to the rear side of the panel II and is driven from the lowvoltage source 36-over the conductors 31, 38, 39 and 40.

'Removably secured to the frontfac of the metal disc 21, by means of theknurled nut 33, as shown in Figs. 1 and 5, is the paper disc or recordsheet 35 which is rotated by means of the clock motor 34 through thegears 32 and 3| and the shaft 28. The synchronous clock motor 34 and thestylus operating motor 12 are bothlow'voltage motors and are operated bythe current supplied' by the step-down transformer 35 which derives itsenergy fromthe high voltage alternating current source ti over.conductors 42 and 33. As shown in Fig. 1

the clock motor 35 is in"- continuous operation and causes the paper.disc 35 to makeone complete revolution every sevendays, while the stylusmotor i2 is only intended for momentary operation when the plug 44 isinserted'in the jack 45 and closes a circuit to the motor coil 25;through the contacts 46 and 41 of the jack 45 and over the conductors48, 31, 38, 49 and 50. 4

As shown in Figs. 1 and 5, there is mounted on the front of the panel II, by means of the spacing member 5| and the screws 52 and 53,in'aiignment with the aperture 22, an apertured strip of transparentmaterial 54. This 'strip'of material is spaced away from the face of thepanel a sufficient distance to permit it to overlie the paper disc 35and act as areinforcem'ent or backing for the paper disc when the stylus21 is forced there'- through by means of the action of the stylus motorI5.

In order to discourage the, unauthorized o'pening of the door' 55 ofthe'ho'using l and to make a permanent'record of, each opening andclosing, there has been provided, as shown in Figs. 1 and means forcutting a slot inthe' edge ofthe disc 35. jThis' means comprises a'dooroperated plunger 55' mounted on the panel ll In order to provide abacking or reinforcement for the paper disc 35 as the knife blade 6|passes 'back and forth, spaced apart members 62 and 53 are provided atthe periphery of the paper disc 35 adjacent the knife blad 6!.

V I The member 52. is preferably metal and is secured to the front ofthe panel'in back of the paper disc a short distance from the peripherythereof and has its front face in contact with the back of the paperdisc 35. -Mounted in spaced relation directly in front of the member 62by means of the spacer member 64 and the screws 65-65 is the transparentslotted member 63. This member overlies the edge of the disc 35 andserves to confine the disc between it and the member 62. Thus when thedoor 55 is being shut and the plunger 55 is pushed inwardly against thetension of the spring 51, the knife blade Bl will cut a slot therein asshown at 66 in Fig. 5. The plunger 56' and its associated knife blade 6|will remain in its retracted position until the door '55 is opened atwhich time the plunger 56, under the influence of the spring 51 willtravel outwardly, carry with it the knife blade BI and out another notchor slot in the edge of the disc as shown at 66 in Fig. 5.

In the operation of the improved recorder of this invention a highvoltage alternating current source 4| supplies current to a step-downtransformer 36 over the conductor paths 42 and 53. Connected to the lowvoltag side of the transformer 35 is a pair of conductors 31 and 38 towhich are connected the leads 39 and 40 from the clock motor 34. Thus,the clock motor 35 is continuously driven over the normally closedcircuit just described. As the motor 34 operates, i it causes the gears32 and 3i and the shaft 28 28 that one complete revolution-of the paperdisc 35 is made every seven days. It will be noted byreference to- Fig.5 that the paper disc 35 is divided into-seven segments one for'eaeh dayof the week and that each segment is"pro{ adjacent the edge of the door55 and adapted H and is in parallel relationwith' the "plunger videdwith twenty-four graduations indicating twenty-four hours, twelve for a.m. and-twelve for p. in. f

Located on the panel I I and also connected to the conductors 31 and 38by a normally open circuit which comprises the jackcontacts" 16 and 51and the conductors 58, team 50, is the stylus motor l2; 'Thus the motornormally will be unoperated'with the stylus 2| in its retracted positionunder the influence of the spring-23- as shown in Fig. 1. When th plug44 isinserted in the jack 55' the circuit to the motor, as heretoforedescribed, is closed thereby causing the armature 23 to be drawn into'the -direet magnetic path between'the pole-pieces l5 and rotated. Thisaction causes the'stylus 2i" to project through th aperture 22 andperforate the paper disc with a rotating or boring action and indicatesby means of the punctureor perforation therein the time at which theplug 44 was inserted in thejaick 45. Thewithdrawal of th plug 44 opensthe circuit which causes the motor I2 to stop and permits the stylus 2Ito be retracted under the influence of the spring 23.

' In a modified form of our invention, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, wehave provided our recorder with a spring driven clock motor and abattery operated stylus mechanism.

As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the housing or cabinet I I has mounted on thepanel I I I, by means of the bracket H3 and screws H4, a direct currentoperated stylus mechanism I I 2. This mechanism is somewhat similar tothe alternating current stylus operating motor heretofore described inthat it comprises a set of pole-pieces H5, an armature shaft H'I, anarmature I20 and suitable bearings H6 and H9 for the armature shaft H1in the brackets H3 and H8. Positioned on the shaft III, which isrotatably and slidably mounted in the bearings H6 and H9 is the armatureI20 which is provided with counterweights WW on each side thereofadjacent its lower edges, to unbalance the armature and maintain it inan upright position when no current is flowing through the coil I26.

Located on the front end of the armature shaft H1 is the stylus I 2Iwhich is positioned in the aperture I22 in the panel III, in a mannersimilar to that described with regard to the stylus in the alternatingcurrent operated recorder as shown in Fig. The rear portion of thearmature shaft H1 i provided with a spring I23 for maintaining the shaftI I! in its retracted position as shown in Fig. 3 and as described withrespect to the recorder in Fig. 1.

When the coil I26 of the mechanism H2 is energized by the closing of thenormally open circuit, which comprises the battery I24, the coil I26,the conductors I25 and I21, by bridging the contacts I28 and I29 bymeans of the plug I30, the armature I20 will be drawn into the directmagnetic path between the pole-pieces H and rotated 90 degrees as shownin dot and dash lines in Fig. 4 thereby causing the stylus I2I toproject through the aperture I22 and puncture the paper disc asheretofore explained with regard to Fig. 1. As long as the plug I30remains in the jack I36 the circuit to the mechanism H2 will remainclosed and the stylus I2I will remain extended. However, upon thewithdrawal of the plug I30 the circuit will be opened and the stylus I2Iwill return to its normal position under the influence of the springI23. Due to the counterweights W-W located on the armature I20, thearmature will assume a vertical position as shown by the full line inFig. 4.

The rest of the mechanism in the modified form of our invention shown inFigs. 3 and 4 is substantially the same as that employed for thealternating current operated recorder shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 5 with theexception that the clock motor I3I is spring driven. The description andreference characters applied to this portion of the mechanism are thesame in both instances and refer to like parts and operate in the samemanner as heretofore described with reference to Figs. 1, 2 and 5 exceptthat the armature I20 does not continuously rotate but rotates deg eesand then come to rest. However, a direct current operated motor may besubstituted for the motor H2 Without affecting the operation of therecorder.

While there is shown and described herein the preferred form of ourinvention, it is to be understood that it is not limited or confined t0the precise details of construction herein described and variousmodifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit ofthe invention and we are only limited by the scope of the appendedclaim.

What is claimed is:

In a recorder having supporting means for a movable record-receivingchart, a stylus for perforating said chart, actuating means for saidstylus comprising an electromagnetic device having an armature shaftrotatably mounted between a set of pole-pieces on said device and to thefront end of which said stylus is connected in operative relation tosaid chart, an armature secured on said shaft and normally positionedoutside of the direct magnetic field of said polepieces, a normally openelectrical circuit including said electromagnetic device and a source ofelectrical energy, and means for closing said circuit to energize saiddevice whereupon said armature will be drawn into the direct magneticpath between said pole-pieces and rotated, thereby imparting a rotaryand reciprocating motion to said shaft and said stylus to cause saidstylus to perforate said record receiving chart.

LELAND H. CHASE. LEROY C. SPENARD.

